Report: 20 Tibetan students hospitalized after clashing with police during demonstration

BEIJING – A U.S. broadcaster says 20 Tibetan students have been hospitalized after they clashed with police during a demonstration sparked by anger over a government booklet that called the Tibetan language irrelevant and criticized recent self-immolations.

Radio Free Asia said at least 20 students were hospitalized Monday after the protest turned violent in Qinghai province's Hainan prefecture. The emailed statement sent Tuesday cited Tibetan exile sources who were in touch with Hainan residents.

It said students were angry over a booklet distributed at Tsolho Medical Institute in Hainan that called Tibetan irrelevant and condemned immolation protests by Tibetans as "acts of stupidity." It said students burned the books in their protest.

Hainan government and police officials referred calls to other departments where the phone rang unanswered.